Psionic Items

ARMOR AND SHIELDS

In general, psionic armor and shields follow the rules for the equivalent magic items, as far as enhancement bonuses, stacking, and other base abilities are concerned. An enhancement bonus is treated the same way regardless of whether magic or psionics created it.

Psionic armor and shields differ from standard and magical equivalents in that psionic armor and shields incorporate one or more crystals into their construction. Particularly powerful armor and shields may be entirely composed of brightly hued or transparent crystals.

Special Qualities: Roll d%. An 01 result indicates the item is intelligent, an 02-31 result indicates that the command thought (if any) is psionically imprinted and whispers itself into the user’s mind on acquisition, and 32-100 indicates no special qualities.

Intelligent items have extra abilities and sometimes also extraordinary powers and special purposes. Substitute manifesting for spellcasting as required.

Table: Psionic Armor Special Abilities

Minor

Medium

Major

Special Ability

Base Price Modifier

01-30

01-07

01-03

Quickness

+1 bonus1

31-74

08-30

04-05

Landing

+4,000 gp

75-80

31-46

06-10

Floating

+4,000 gp

81-96

47-55

11-20

Linked

+6,000 gp

97

56-66

21-30

Seeing

+6,000 gp

98

67-75

31-40

Power resistance (13)

+2 bonus1

99

76-83

41-50

Ectoplasmic

+10,800 gp

-

84-89

51-60

Gleaming

+3 bonus1

-

90-94

61-70

Power resistance (15)

+3 bonus1

-

95-98

71-77

Vanishing

+3 bonus1

-

99

78-83

Mindarmor

+24,000 gp

-

-

84-89

Power resistance (17)

+4 bonus1

-

-

90-94

Radiant

+4 bonus1

-

-

95-96

Aporter

+40,320 gp

-

-

97-98

Power resistance (19)

+5 bonus1

-

-

99

Phasing

+65,520 gp

100

100

100

Roll twice again2

-

1 Add to enhancement bonus to determine total market price.

2 If you roll a special ability twice, only one counts. If you roll two versions of the same special ability, use the better.

Table: Psionic Shield Special Abilities

Minor

Medium

Major

Special Ability

Base Price Modifier

01-35

01-05

01-03

Heartening

+720 gp

36-60

06-10

04-05

Ranged

+1 bonus1

61-89

11-15

06-10

Linked

+6,000 gp

90-97

16-35

11-24

Power resistance (13)

+2 bonus1

98

36-58

25-34

Manifester

+10,800 gp

99

69-88

35-44

Averter

+12,960 gp

-

89-92

45-54

Vanishing

+3 bonus1

-

93-96

55-64

Power resistance (15)

+3 bonus1

-

97-98

65-74

Wall

+20,160 gp

-

99

75-81

Mindarmor

+24,000 gp

-

-

82-88

Power resistance (17)

+4 bonus1

-

-

89-93

Aporter

+40,320 gp

-

-

94-96

Time buttress

+5 bonus1

-

-

97-99

Power resistance (19)

+5 bonus1

100

100

100

Roll twice again2

-

1 Add to enhancement bonus to determine total market price.

2 If you roll a special ability twice, only one counts. If you roll two versions of the same special ability, use the better.

Psionic Armor and Shield Special Ability Descriptions

Most psionic armor and shields have only enhancement bonuses. Such items can also have one or more of the special abilities detailed below. Armor or a shield with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Aporter: As a standard action, a suit of aporter armor or an aporter shield transports the wearer and her equipment to any spot within 800 feet that she can visualize or specify, as the psionic dimension door power. The armor or shield can transport the wearer in this fashion twice per day. Moderate psychoportation; ML 10th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic dimension door; Price +40,320 gp.

Averter: On command, up to three times per day, any creature to whom the wearer presents an averter shield must succeed on a DC 14 Will save or be overcome by a powerful aversion to the wielder (actually the shield), and will not approach within 30 feet. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect, as the aversion power. Faint telepathy; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, aversion; Price +12,960 gp.

Ectoplasmic: As a standard action, ectoplasmic armor converts itself, its wearer, and all the wearer’s equipment into ectoplasmic form for up to 5 minutes once per day, as the power of the same name. In this semisolid state, the wearer gains damage reduction 10/psionics. Faint psychometabolism; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, ectoplasmic form; Price +10,800 gp.

Floating: This kind of armor is psionically buoyant in water or a similar liquid, negating the normal penalty for wearing armor when making Swim checks. Additionally, it grants a +4 circumstance bonus on Swim checks. Faint psychoportation; ML 4th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, float; Price +4,000 gp.

Gleaming: This kind of armor is usually made of crystal, though it doesn’t have to be. Gleams and flashes from the armor give the wearer and his armor a “fuzzy” appearance, granting the wearer concealment. Faint metacreativity; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, concealing amorpha; Price +3 bonus.

Heartening: This kind of shield grants the wearer up to 5 temporary hit points per day on command. These temporary hit points fade after 4 minutes. The wearer can activate this power as an immediate action at any time. Faint psychometabolism; ML 4th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, vigor; Price +720 gp.

Landing: A suit of armor with this capability allows the wearer to ignore any damage dealt by the first 60 feet of a fall. Regardless of the height of a fall, the wearer always lands on her feet. Faint psychoportation; ML 4th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, catfall; Price +4,000 gp.

Linked: This kind of armor or shield allows the wearer to form a telepathic bond with other wearers of linked armor or shields within 10 miles. This ability is otherwise similar to the mindlink power. Moderate telepathy; ML 6th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, mindlink; Price +6,000 gp.

Manifester: This kind of shield generates 3 power points once per day that the wearer can use when manifesting a power he knows. These power points must all be used on the same power. As usual, a psionic character cannot pay a power’s cost with power points from more than one source, so the power points in the shield must be used for discrete manifestations. Moderate clairsentience; ML 6th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, knowledge of any 2nd-level power; Price +10,800 gp.

Phasing: The wearer of this kind of armor can move through wooden, plaster, or stone walls, but not other materials. The wearer can call on this special ability as a standard action. When the phasing ability is active, the wearer can pass through a wall or some other kind of appropriate object for a total distance of 60 feet per day (see below), breaking this distance up into several smaller passages or one long one, as desired. A wearer who exceeds this daily distance limit while inside solid material is ejected from the material at the point of entry, ending up prone in front of the now impassable barrier. Phasing through a wall that separates two adjacent squares on the grid counts as 5 feet of distance. Phasing through a wall or barrier of any greater thickness counts as a distance equal to the barrier’s thickness plus 5 feet. Strong psychoportation; ML 13th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic phase door; Price +65,520 gp.

Power Resistance: This kind of armor or shield grants the wearer power resistance while it is worn. The power resistance can be 13, 15, 17, or 19, depending on the amount that was built into the armor or shield. Moderate clairsentience; ML 9th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, power resistance; Price +2 bonus (PR 13); +3 bonus (PR 15); +4 bonus (PR 17); or +5 bonus (PR 19).

Radiant: The wearer of this kind of armor gains resistance 10 against energy attacks (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). The armor absorbs the first 10 points of damage dealt by any such attack, and this absorption causes it to radiate light for a number of rounds equal to the points of damage absorbed. This light is sufficient to illuminate a 60-foot-radius area. If the armor absorbs more damage while it is radiating light, the newer radiant effect overlaps (does not stack with) the effect that was already in place. Moderate psychokinesis; ML 9th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor; energy adaptation; Price +4 bonus.

Ranged: The wielder of a ranged shield can throw it in combat, with a range increment of 30 feet. While in the air, the shield is treated in all ways as a ranged weapon and cannot be blocked or grabbed except by those with appropriate feats. No matter the size of the wielder, a buckler or light shield deals 1d6 points of damage and a heavy one 1d8 points. (A tower shield cannot be created with this special ability.) The wielder’s Strength modifier and the shield’s enhancement bonus add to the base damage. A ranged shield flies through the air back to the creature that threw it. It returns to the wielder just before the creature’s next turn (and is therefore ready to use again in that turn). Catching a ranged shield when it comes back is a free action. If the wielder can’t catch it, or if the wielder has moved since throwing it, the shield drops to the ground in the square from which it was thrown. Faint psychokinesis; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, far hand; Price +1 bonus.

Seeing: This kind of armor grants a wider than normal field of vision, so that opponents flanking the wearer gain only a +1 bonus on their attack rolls instead of +2 (rogues still get their full sneak attack damage because the wearer is still flanked). The wearer gains a +1 enhancement bonus on Spot checks but takes a -2 penalty on saves against gaze attacks. Faint clairsentience; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, ubiquitous vision; Price +6,000 gp.

Time Buttress: This kind of shield gives the wielder a chance to avoid telling blows by using time itself as a shield. Once per day, the wielder can use timeless body as though manifesting the power. Strong psychoportation; ML 17th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, timeless body; Price +5 bonus.

Vanishing: On command, this suit of armor or shield renders its wearer and all the wearer’s equipment invisible to the minds of others, as if he had manifested the power cloud mind. The wearer can use this ability twice per day. Faint psychokinesis; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, cloud mind; Price +3 bonus.

Wall: As a standard action once per day, the wielder can drop this kind of shield at his feet and command a wall of ectoplasm (as the power) to come into being, with the shield as the point of origin for the effect. This effect forms a wall whose area is up to twelve 10-foot squares or a sphere or hemisphere with a radius of up to 12 feet. The wall dissipates after 7 minutes, or sooner if the wielder of the shield reclaims it (thus dismissing the effect). Strong metacreativity; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, wall of ectoplasm; Price +20,160 gp.

WEAPONS

Although they generally follow the rules for magic weapons, psionic weapons differ from mundane and magic weapons in their design. Most possess some crystal components, and some are composed entirely of crystal. Many also sport intricate traceries along the blade or haft, which flicker now and then as if channeling flows of psychic energy.

Psionic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses on both attack and damage rolls when used in combat. This enhancement bonus is effective for the purpose of overcoming creatures with damage resistance that is penetrated by magic. All psionic weapons are also masterwork weapons, but their masterwork bonus on attack rolls does not stack with their enhancement bonus on attack rolls.

Weapons come in two basic categories: melee and ranged. Some of the weapons listed as melee weapons can also be used as ranged weapons. In this case, their enhancement bonus applies to either type of attack.

In addition to enhancement bonuses, psionic weapons can also have the special abilities detailed here. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

The rules for manifester level for weapons (called caster level), additional damage dice, ranged weapons and ammunition, ammunition and breakage, hardness and hit points, critical hits, and weapons for unusually sized creatures for psionic weapons are the same as for magic weapons. Psionic weapons do not have the chance to generate light (though some may be mentally audible; see below).

Mentally Audible: Fully 30% of psionic weapons telepathically mutter, croon, recite battle poems, scream, or produce other mental “noises” when first drawn, at first blood, or when they slay a significant enemy. Such a weapon cannot be concealed from creatures within 15 feet when it is drawn, nor can its mental “soundtrack” be curbed.

Activation: Usually a character benefits from a psionic weapon in the same way a character benefits from a mundane weapon - by attacking with it. If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to project a command thought (a standard action).

Table: Psionic Melee Weapon Special Abilities

Minor

Medium

Major

Special Ability

Base Price Modifier

1-15

01-10

-

Psychokinetic

+1 bonus1

16-45

11-25

01-09

Dissipater

+1 bonus1

46-55

26-30

10-12

Lucky

+1 bonus1

56-70

31-40

13-17

Sundering

+1 bonus1

71-80

41-46

18-21

Power storing

+1 bonus1

81-99

51-56

22-30

Collision

+2 bonus1

-

57-65

31-37

Mindcrusher

+2 bonus1

-

66-71

38-41

Psychokinetic burst

+2 bonus1

-

72-75

42-49

Suppression

+2 bonus1

-

76-78

50-58

Psibane

+2 bonus1

-

79-81

59-61

Parrying

+8,000 gp

-

82-85

62-65

Manifester

+16,000 gp

-

86-88

66-71

Bodyfeeder

+3 bonus1

-

89-91

72-77

Mindfeeder

+3 bonus1

-

92-93

78-83

Soulbreaker

+3 bonus1

-

94

84-86

Psychic

+35,000 gp

-

95

87-90

Coup de grace

+5 bonus1

100

96-100

91-100

Roll again twice2

-

1 Add to enhancement bonus to determine total market price.

2 Reroll if you get a duplicate special ability, an ability incompatible with an ability that you’ve already rolled, or if the extra ability puts you over the +10 limit. A weapon’s enhancement bonus and special ability bonus equivalents can’t total more than +10.

Table: Psionic Ranged Weapon Special Abilities

Minor

Medium

Major

Special Ability

Base Price Modifier

01-20

01-15

-

Teleporting

+1 bonus1

21-40

16-30

-

Psychokinetic

+1 bonus1

41-100

31-45

01-30

Collision

+2 bonus1

46-50

31-40

Suppression

+2 bonus1

51-66

41-65

Psychokinetic burst

+2 bonus1

67-74

66-69

Psibane

+2 bonus1

75-78

70-73

Manifester

+16,000 gp

79-82

74-79

Dislocator

+3 bonus1

83-98

80-90

Great dislocator

+4 bonus1

-

91-97

Coup de grace

+5 bonus1

99-100

98-100

Roll again twice2

-

1 Add to enhancement bonus to determine total market price.

2 Reroll if you get a duplicate special ability, an ability incompatible with an ability that you’ve already rolled, or if the extra ability puts you over the +10 limit. A weapon’s enhancement bonus and special ability bonus equivalents can’t total more than +10.

Psionic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions

Most psionic weapons have only enhancement bonuses. They can also have the special abilities detailed here. A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

Bodyfeeder: All feeder weapons have a special ability that functions only upon scoring a successful critical hit. A bodyfeeder weapon grants its wielder temporary hit points equal to the total damage dealt by a successful critical hit. These temporary hit points last for 10 minutes. Thus, if the wielder of a bodyfeeder weapon successfully scores a critical hit while the wielder still enjoys temporary hit points from a previous critical hit, the wielder gains only the better of the two values: either his current number of temporary hit points, or the new influx of temporary hit points, whichever is higher. Strong psychometabolism; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, claws of the vampire; Price +3 bonus.

Collision: Collision weapons psionically increase their own mass at the end point of each swing or shot. Such weapons deal an extra 5 points of damage on each successful strike, in addition to the weapon’s enhancement bonus. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow the extra damage upon their ammunition. Moderate metacreativity; ML 10th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, matter manipulation; Price +2 bonus.

Coup de Grace: Coup de grace weapons are exceptionally dangerous. On a successful critical hit, the foe must succeed on a DC 27 Will save or be paralyzed for 1 round. While this ability does work on creatures that are immune to extra damage from critical hits, it does not work on creatures without an Intelligence score. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability on their ammunition. Strong telepathy; ML 19th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic dominate; Price +5 bonus.

Dislocator: The wielder of this kind of weapon can attempt to dislocate a designated foe up to three times per day. On a successful hit, the foe must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or be teleported 1-100 miles in a random direction. If the weapon misses, the use is wasted. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability on their ammunition. Strong psychoportation; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic teleport; Price +3 bonus.

Dissipater: This kind of weapon is devastating to creatures and objects composed of or originally formed from ectoplasm (such as astral constructs, walls of ectoplasm, creatures in ectoplasmic form, and items created using the metacreativity discipline). Against qualifying targets, a dissipater weapon ignores damage reduction and hardness, and treats all successful hits as critical hits. Strong metacreativity; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, dismiss ectoplasm; Price +1 bonus.

Great Dislocator: The wielder of this kind of weapon can attempt to greatly dislocate a designated foe up to three times per day. On a successful hit, the foe must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or be cast into a random alternate plane of existence. If the weapon misses, the use is wasted. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition. Strong psychoportation; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic plane shift; Price +4 bonus.

Lucky: A lucky weapon offers a second chance at success. Once per day, the wielder can reroll a failed attack roll (whether a single attack or one in a series of multiple attacks) as a free action. The rerolled attack uses the same bonuses or penalties as the missed roll. Moderate clairsentience; ML 8th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, fate of one; Price +1 bonus.

Manifester: This kind of weapon generates 5 power points once per day that the wearer can use when manifesting a power he knows. These power points must all be used on the same power. As usual, a psionic character cannot pay a power’s cost with power points from more than one source, so the power points in the shield must be used for discrete manifestations. Moderate clairsentience; ML 8th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, knowledge of any 3rd-level power; Price +16,000 gp.

Mindcrusher: Any psionic creature struck in combat by a mindcrusher weapon loses a number of power points equal to half the amount of hit point damage the weapon deals (only the base damage of the weapon contributes to the power point loss; additional damage from high Strength or other sources does not cause additional power point loss). A psionic creature that is out of power points (or has none) must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or take 1d2 points of Wisdom damage. Strong psychometabolism; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psychic vampire; Price +2 bonus.

Mindfeeder: All feeder weapons have a special ability that functions only upon scoring a successful critical hit. Once per day, a mindfeeder weapon grants its wielder temporary power points equal to the total lethal damage dealt by a successful critical hit. The wielder must decide to use the mindfeeder ability after successfully confirming a critical hit, but prior to rolling critical hit damage. These temporary power points last for 10 minutes. The wielder may not exceed his natural maximum power points per day using the mindfeeder ability. The wielder gains power points even if the target has none (effectively, its hit point damage is converted to power points). Constructs and undead are not subject to mindfeeder weapons. As with temporary hit points, temporary power points do not stack with each other; they overlap. Thus, if a mindfeeder weapon successfully scores a critical hit while the wielder still enjoys temporary power points from a previous critical hit, the wielder gains only the better of the two values: either her current number of temporary power points, or the new influx of temporary power points, whichever is higher. Strong psychometabolism; ML 15th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psychic vampire; Price +3 bonus.

Parrying: A parrying weapon perceives an instant into the future, and of its own accord resists melee and ranged attacks aimed at the wielder, granting a +1 insight bonus to the wielder’s Armor Class. The weapon is so adept at parrying that it even affects incoming powers, granting the wielder a +1 insight bonus on saving throws. The bonuses are granted whenever the wielder holds the weapon, even if flat-footed. Faint clairsentience; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, defensive precognition; Price +8,000 gp.

Power Storing: A power storing weapon allows a manifester to store a single targeted power of up to 5 power points in the weapon. (The power must have a manifesting time of 1 standard action.) Any time the weapon strikes a creature and the creature takes damage from it, the weapon can immediately manifest the power on that creature as a swift action if the wielder desires. (This ability is an exception to the rule that manifesting a power from an item takes at least as long as manifesting that power normally.) Once the power is manifested, the weapon is empty, and a manifester can imbed any other targeted power of up to 5 power points into it. The weapon telepathically whispers to the wearer the name of the power currently stored within it. A randomly generated power storing weapon has a 50% chance to have a power stored in it already. Strong psychokinesis; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, creator must be a manifester of at least 12th level; Price +1 bonus.

Psibane: A psibane weapon is crafted to oppose psionic beings. When used against such creatures, its effective enhancement bonus is 2 higher than its actual enhancement bonus. It deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against psionic opponents. It bestows one negative level on any psionic creature attempting to wield it. This negative level remains as long as the weapon is in hand and disappears when the weapon is no longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual level loss, but it cannot be overcome in any way while the weapon is wielded. Psibane bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition. Strong clairsentience; ML 15th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, bend reality; Price +2 bonus.

Psychic: A psychic weapon’s power depends on its wielder. In the hands of a nonpsionic creature, the weapon possesses the qualities of a nonmagical, nonpsionic masterwork weapon. When wielded by a psionic creature, this weapon has an enhancement bonus based on the wielder’s current power point reserve, as shown on the following table. The weapon’s enhancement bonus decreases as the wielder spends power points, and it increases whenever the wielder gains enough power points (by any means) to put his power point reserve into the next higher category.

Psychokinetic: Upon command, a psychokinetic weapon glows from the inside with lethal psionic energy. The energy does not harm the hands that hold the weapon. Such a weapon deals an extra 1d4 points of damage on a successful hit. This extra damage is ectoplasmic in nature and is not affected by damage reduction. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition. Moderate psychokinesis; ML 10th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, concussion blast; Price +1 bonus.

Psychokinetic Burst: This weapon functions as a psychokinetic weapon that also releases a blast of destructive psionic energy upon scoring a successful critical hit. In addition to the extra damage of the psychokinetic ability (see above), a psychokinetic burst weapon deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on a successful critical hit. If the weapon’s critical multiplier is x3, add 2d6 points of extra damage instead, and if the multiplier is x4, add 3d6 points of extra damage. This extra damage is ectoplasmic in nature and is not affected by damage reduction. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition. Strong psychokinesis; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, concussion blast; Price +2 bonus.

Soulbreaker: This weapon has a special ability that functions only upon scoring a successful critical hit. On a successful critical hit, a soulbreaker weapon bestows one negative level on the foe. One day after being struck, if the negative levels have not been purged, the subject must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save for each negative level or lose a character level. Strong telepathy; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, mindwipe; Price +3 bonus.

Sundering: This kind of weapon allows a wielder to attack opponents’ weapons as if he had the Improved Sunder feat. Faint metacreativity; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, Great Sunder, metaphysical weapon; Price +1 bonus.

Suppression: An opponent or object struck by this kind of weapon is subject to a targeted dispel psionics power. The wielder makes a dispel check (1d20 + 5 + manifester level, maximum +15) against a DC of 11 + the manifester level of the power to be dispelled. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this ability upon their ammunition, but can do so only three times per day. Moderate psychokinesis ML 10th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, dispel psionics; Price +2 bonus.

Teleporting: This ability can be imbedded only in weapons that can be thrown. A teleporting weapon returns through the Astral Plane to the creature that threw it. It teleports into the throwing creature’s empty hand in the round following the round when it was thrown, just before that creature’s turn. It is therefore ready to use again on that turn. Faint psychoportation; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, psionic dimension door; Price +1 bonus.